What are the symptoms of Anxiety?
Do I have Attention Defficit Disorder?
ADHD Symptoms
A person with ADHD may have some or all of the following symptoms:
- difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or other activities; producing work that is often messy and careless
- easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually ignored by others
- inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities
- difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration
- frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
- procrastination
- disorganized work habits
- forgetfulness in daily activities (for example, missing appointments, forgetting to bring lunch)
- failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores
- frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one's mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations
Hyperactivity symptoms may be apparent in very young preschoolers and are nearly always present before the age of seven. Symptoms include:
- fidgeting, squirming when seated
- getting up frequently to walk or run around
- running or climbing excessively when it's inappropriate (in teens this may appear as restlessness)
- having difficulty playing quietly or engaging in quiet leisure activities
- being always on the go
- often talking excessively
- Reviewed by Marina Katz, MD on February 21, 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. WebMD Medical reference.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- What are the symptoms? People who have generalized anxiety disorder get worried and stressed about many things almost every day. They have a hard time controlling their worry. Adults with this problem often worry about money, family, health, or work. Children with this problem often worry about how well they can do an activity, such as school or sports. You might also have physical symptoms, such as:
- Feeling tired or irritable, or having a hard time concentrating.
- Having headaches or muscle aches.
- Having a hard time swallowing.
- Feeling shaky, sweating, or having hot flashes.
- Feeling lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or out of breath.
- Having to go to the bathroom often.
- Feeling like you can't relax, or being startled easily.
- Having problems falling or staying asleep.
WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed by Marina
Katz, MD on February 21, 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights
reserved.
What about medication vs. psychotherapy?
It is well established that the long-term solution to
mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved
solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy
addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our
progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of
well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your
medical doctor you can determine what's best for you, and in some cases a
combination of medication and therapy is the right course of
action.
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
To determine if you have mental health coverage through
your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them.
Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their
answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them:
- What are my mental health benefits?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
- How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?
Confidentiality is one of the most important components
between a client and psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high
degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not
discussed anywhere but the therapist's office. Every therapist should
provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you
can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone.
This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may
want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on
your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your
therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written
permission.
However, state law and professional ethics
require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following
situations:
* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of
children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection
and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or
collateral sources.
* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client
is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threated to harm
another person.